My Story by Founder
Operation Give Smile is the result of many years of planning how best to help the less fortunate. As a young girl, my life was surrounded by despair and suffering. This is when I made a promise to myself and God that I would do whatever I could to help relieve the misery around me. I moved from my birth place of Cameroon to our neighbor country of Nigeria to attend school. This was a necessary breakthrough for me.
The suffering in Nigeria was the same as it was in Cameroon. Many individuals were deprived good food, proper clothing and housing and as usual, not enough was being done about it. Notwithstanding the many organizations reaching out, the suffering seemed endless. The reasons people found themselves in these situations where many: lack of institutions for the mentally ill, improper facilities for orphaned minors, and scarce resources for widows. The problems were many but solutions were lacking.
While I had the pressures of my academics at the time, my mind would not rest until I began to help. Due to my circumstances, I decide to focus my energies on assisting the widows and children. My own pursuit to become a Microbiologist while struggling as a breadwinner helped to solidify my purpose to do more for those who were less fortunate than me. This was the eye-opening experience that channeled my center of attention on the widows and the children in Nigeria.
About eleven year ago while living in Nigeria, I founded Operation Give Smile with the goal of putting a smile on the face of everyone whose life we touched, by caring, encouraging, engaging and empowering them, while providing the basic necessities for life. I’ll always have a special place in my heart, though, for the widows and children whom I believe should be exempt from this despair.
I found myself in the United States of America in 2009 and contrary to my prior beliefs ‘the streets were not paved with gold’ and that she, too, is not immune from the problems of starvation and homelessness. This awareness has brought a new sense of urgency to my calling to stamp out unnecessary suffering in the world today. This unexpected revelation has escalated my resolve to work harder by increasing my efforts to provide help to people in America as well as other countries like Malawi which I visited in 2013. This mission to Malawi taught me an even greater lesson; that some of us complain too much about what we have while others suffice with barely anything. Solutions must be found and Operation Give Smile is digging in for the long haul.
Immediately on my arrival to America, I continued my voluntary services to Habitat for humanity, Women Watch Africa, Refugee Women Center, After School Program at Clarkston Community Center and support to several churches in Metro-Atlanta Georgia that is home for now. This community work has given my life a greater sense of purpose and has strengthen my determination to change the status quo.
Now the time has come to dream bigger! I invoke you to get involve in this fight. We need everyone’s help to put an end to world hunger, health care deficiency, inadequate housing and lack of proper education. There’s much to learn and even more to do. Love your neighbor. Operation Give Smile is intent to be a part of the solution. Please join us in our assault on starvation and homelessness. Together we can make a significant difference. Peace and God speed!